Yesterday, Blizzard surprised everyone by revealing its 2023 roadmap for World of Warcraft. Patches, seasons and features have been unveiled and it’s a great year ahead for Dragonflight players.
The MMORPG’s history is long, but this is the first time that the studio has been so transparent regarding the new features that will be rolled out over the next 12 months.
Patch 10.0.5 (Winter 2023)
In January, we should take advantage of patch 10.0.5, with the Counter and the arrival of white and gray items in transmogrification. It’s a minor patch, but you have to realize that the content of Dragonflight is already very important. Season 1 is young and many players are busy farming their reputations, leveling up their Mythic+ keys, or trying to defeat Raszageth in Heroic mode one day.
The balancing changes are numerous and Blizzard can intervene on the specializations at any time. We have had further proof of this in recent days with significant changes for the Thief, the Mage and the Shadow Priest to name but a few.
Patch 10.0.7 (Spring 2023)
The next Dragonflight update will be 10.0.7. We are once more in a intermediate patchbut this time with interesting novelties for several races.
This will be the case for the Drachtyrs. Blizzard is planning new for Forbidden Borders, the starting area of the Dragonflight race. We should learn more regarding their history and if I have any advice for you, it’s to build an Evoker by then so that you have a character ready to take advantage of the new features when they come out!
For their part, the Orcs and Humans will benefit from a series of quests leading to their heritage armor. After the Goblins, Worgens, Gnomes, Dwarves, Blood Elves and Taurens, the two emblematic races of Warcraft will be at the heart of the story. Given the care taken in the script of Dragonflight, it is very likely that the stories will be worth the detour. Blizzard should not be missed because the number of users who play one of the two races is very high. They represent no less than 20% of WoW characters!
Patch 10.1
Here we really get to the heart of the matter. Patch 10.1 will be a major update with lots of new features:
- new area
- New Raid
- Season 2 Mythic+
- Saison 2 PvP
As a bonus, Blizzard is already planning job updates. It’s normal. With the huge overhaul that we experienced with Dragonflight, professions need a little polish to rectify the errors of youth. We don’t know yet if Blizzard is planning any new features, but it’s entirely possible. Perhaps the return of Archaeology?
Who says new area necessarily says new campaign, new faction, a world boss, etc. I wonder if Renown will take 10 new levels for current reputations or if Blizzard will stop there and focus on factions in the new area.
Patch 10.1.5 (Summer 2023)
While some of you will enjoy the beach and the sun, others will launch an assault on patch 10.1.5. It is an intermediate patch of medium importance.
Blizzard announces a new mega dungeon. This has become a tradition for several expansions. At mid-life, we are entitled to a big dungeon. Instead of 3-4 bosses for a normal dungeon, a mega-dungeon offers 8. In Battle for Azeroth, this was Mechagon. In Shadowlands, it was Tazavesh. This dungeon is later split in two for Mythic+ and no doubt the same will be true for Dragonflight’s mega-dungeon.
The studio also talks regardingworld events. It’s hard to know exactly what it’s all regarding, but it should be events related to the evolution of the game’s history. As for “game content and system updates”, the term is so generic that it can include anything and everything. It can range from trades to dungeons through PvP or the collection of mounts.
Patch 10.1.7 (Fall 2023)
If patch 10.1.5 will be big enough, v10.1.7 will be a little less so. This time, Blizzard will take the story forward with new quests. At first glance, I feel a kind of campaign with weekly unlocking of quests, as we saw at the start of Shadowlands.
Blizzard also intends to take advantage of the patch to deploy new seasonal events. It’s true that the devs haven’t spent much time on this aspect of WoW in recent years. We were treated to minor updates, but nothing really new. This will be the case between September and December 2023 and that is a great thing.
It’s likely that Blizzard will add both major and minor events. In any case, it is often the opportunity to return to old areas, as we do for the Sea of Lights for example, which features Vashj’ir. When we look at the WoW seasonal events, we also realize that certain times of the year are quite poor in this regard, especially during the summer. This may be an opportunity for Blizzard to fill this void, even if the release date of the patch, scheduled for autumn, would rather suggest events that will take place in the following months.
Finally, the patch will be a new opportunity to update the content and the game systems. Balance in short.
Patch 10.2
Patch 10.2 will be a major patch with a new zone, a new raid and Seasons 3 of Mythic+ and PvP. More generally, Blizzard also announces the addition of content and features.
We are still very far from the update to really imagine it. The new area will undoubtedly bring new systems, much like Zereth Mortis did with Pocopoc, Creation Catalyst, AoE Talents, and more. We will also find a World Boss, at least one new faction, etc.
This patch, which is coming to the end of the extension’s life (unless Blizzard is planning a 10.3), also often facilitates access to certain systems. It’s not impossible that the alts are entitled to privileges for the Dragonflight campaign or shortcuts to raise Renown.
